The Japanese do not like to express themselves in a straightforward manner for fear that it might hurt others’ feelings, so they are usually careful about what they say and often use tatemae in order to get along well with others. For example, when a person is visiting someone’s house in Japan and it becomes time for supper, people will often say, “Won’t you dine with us?” But this is not really an invitation; rather it is a subtle hint that it is time to go home. To those from other countries, this may seem confusing, but for the Japanese, it is a natural way to interact socially. So the
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